Store service



Feb. 26, 1929.

T. L. CONDER STORE SERVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 19, 1925 Feb. 26;1929.

- 1,703,477 T. L. CONDER STORE SERVICE I Filed Feb. 19, 1925 2'Sheets-Sheet 2' Draw-tow ado M 4 Patented la. 26, 1929. I

UNITED v STATES.

I 1,703,417 PATENT'WOFFICE'. I

THOMAS L. comma, OF COLUMBIA, sour CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR or FORTY-NINE oneYHUNDREDLHS T0 ARTHUR w. HAMBY, or COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.

s'ronn SERVICE. a

h uauon med February 19,1925. Serial No. 10,260.

This invention relates to an improvement in stores, particularly thoseengaged in vending SllCll' COllllIlOClltiGS as groceries wherein it hasbeen found possible to do anincreased business with a minimum ofoverhead, by the use of a systematic arrangement.

At the present time, the management of stores operated on a self serviceplan 15 very Seriously concernedvwith the damage and theftoccasionedthrough handling of the goods bycustomers. This undesirablefeature is overcome in the present invention, which requires clerks toattend to customers wants and at the same time provides for a veryadequate display. i

It has always been noticeable, and particularly so in grocery stores,that a customer often has to carry a basket fullof merchandise about thestore. To eliminate this and make the customer as comfortable as pos-vBy reason of the location and character of business, it is frequentlynecessary to'employ an arrangement whereby two distinct groups ofcustomers may be caredfor at the same time. The invention is easilyapplied for this purpose and the display and storage structure for thegoods has been foundto be quite eflicient. v Referring to the drawings:I Figure 1 is atop plan View of the storeembodyingthe present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on line 22 of Figure 1. s

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1'.

Figure 4 is a view in transverse section of one of the shelf sections. I1

Figure 5 is a view showing a carrier handle with a pulley mechanismsecured thereto and engaging a cable. a l Figure 6 is a View of a tripmechanism employed at one end of a return cable. In the drawings, I haveillustrated a store comprising side walls 10 and 11. The front of thestore is provided with vestibules :12, between which is arranged asuitable show case 13. The vestibules are provided with entrances andexits having gates 14 and 15 arranged to swing in opposite directions sothat the customers will enter by one of the gates 14 andlwill leave bythe adjacent gate 15 I A partition v16 is arranged at the rear of thestore and is provided with suitable gates 17 leading into a supply room18., These gates may be provided with lockstoprevent anyone butauthorized persons from gaining entrance to'the supply chamber.

. Arran ed centrally ofthestore is a series of paralliel shelves 19 orsuitable supporting means for articles of merchandise. Upon reference toFigure 1 it will be seen thatthe shelves l9 consist of sections 20-and21 ar-.

ranged at right anglesto each other, the

apices of the [angles extending toward the front of the store. Theseshelves are divided vertically by a partition 22 as shown in Figure 4,sothat' the shelves are formedinto front and rear portions 23 and 24 fora purpose which will be presently described, Atthis point,'however, itmaybe stated that the "portion 23 constitutes the display section whilethe portion 24 is designed to receive the staple articles and any otherstock for which there is no need ofdi'splay.

The angular and parallel arrangement of the'shelving permits of aneconomical utilization of store space without in the least detractingfrom the value of the shelves as a meansof display or for stockpurposes. F urther,'it is possiblefor the clerks to move about theshelving quickly and easily so that the service will be rapid' Onopposite sides ofthe shelving are ar ranged counters 25 which extendfrom a point adjacent the frontfof the store toward the rear where theyare joined by a transverse counter 26 having hinged upwardly, swinginggates 27 thereon. At the front of the store, the counters 25 eachterminate adjacent a bin or receptacle 28 which are convenientlyarranged in the Vestibules and contain a suitable supply of carriers, aswill be presently described. It will be observed that the shelves 21 and22 are arranged at an acute angle to the counters so that customerspassing along the counters will readily see any goods displayed in theexternal sections 23 of saidshelving. I

By. reason of the angular disposition ofthe shelves to each other and tothe counters as just described, it willbe clear that a display ofluxuries, new delicacies or specials may be easily seen by patronswhenplaced in the external sections i23-of the shelves. Articles of a staplenature will be disposed in the rear portions 24 of the shelving, as acustomer will usually call for this type of inerchandise and there isgenerally no need for its display.

It will be understood that clerks are stationed behind the counters atsuitable intervals, who attend the customers wants, so that handling ofthe goods by customers, and possible theft, is eliminated while at thesame time the transaction is speeded up.

The spaces between the counters 25 and the walls of the store aredivided by a partition 29 forming two aisles or passageways 30 and 31,respectively. Since the aisle structure and associated parts is the sameon both sides of the store, only one will be described.

The aisle 30, adjacent the counter 25, is closed at its entrance end bya turn-stile 32 which may be turned in one direction only, that is, topermit a customer to enter the aisle 30. The customer after entering theaisle30 will pass along the counter toward the rear of the store,purchasing articles of the clerks, and must pass a cashierss station 33.The customer then leaves the store through the aisle 31, but, if for anyreason it is desired to delay, benches 34 are arranged adjacent theWalls of the store for the convenience andcomfort of the patrons.

In orderto facilitate the customers passage through the store and toeliminate the necessity of the customer carrying a basket full of heavymerchandise, cables 35 are supported upon the counters 25 by means ofsuitable standards 36. These cables are arranged at a suitable distanceabove the counter both with relation to the customer and to the clerkswho are behind the counter so as to be within convenient reach.Referring to Figure 1, the bins or receptacles 28'are adapted to containbaskets or other carriers 37 the handles of which are provided withsuitable pulleys 38, as shown in Figure 5. The pulleys 38 are of a typereadily attachable and removable from thecables 35.

Thus, a customer enters the store, takes a basket from one of the binsand places it on the cable 35 and has merely to push the basket over thecable each time travel is resumed along the aisle 30 to the cashiersstation. Since the present invention requires that clerks be stationedat suitable intervals behind the counter, obviously, the passage of acustomer through the store is considerably speeded up by reason of thisconveyor structure.

Furthermore, one customer may readily 7 pass another in the aisle 30 bydetaching the carrier from the cable and replacing it at a desired pointin advance or in rear of the intermediate purchaser.

As has been previously referred to, the cashiers station is arranged atthe rear of the store and it will be quite clear that after having madethe desired purchases, and being at the end of the aisle 30, a customermust pass the cashier. The cable 35 extends to a point adjacent thecashiers desk and when the customer reaches this point the cashiermerely removes the basket, empties the contents, and computes the costof the purchases. The customer then gathers upthe merchandise and leavesthe store by the aisle 31, adjacent the side wall.

Arranged to extend above the cable 35 and front a point adjacent thecashiers desk to each of the bins, is a second cable 39. This cable issupported at the rear by the partition 16 and is inclined toward thefront of the store, terminating over the bin 28. At its end adjacent thebin the cable is supported by a standard 40 and is provided with 'a tripmechanism 41. This trip mechanism consists merely of rolling over theend of the cable 39, as at 42. Thus, the cashier takes the empty,baskets, places them on the inclined cable and by slight initialpressure they are caused to roll, by gravity, down the cable, and bymeans of the trip mechanism, ultimately drop into the bin so that afresh supply of carriers will always be available.

It will be readily understood that in some cases, as for example, in arelatively narrow store, that the double structure disclosed will not bepossible of application. In such event, only one section of parallelshelves will be employed and similarly a single counter and carriermechanism. lit will be seen that I have provided an improvement instores which is capable of a ready andeiiicient application, at the sametime being of such a nature as to speedup the transactions without beingthe least complicated or distasteful to either the customer or storeattendants.

I claim:

1. In a store, pairs of parallel entrance and exit aisles extending oneach side of the store, a receptacle station at the forward end of eachentrance aisle and extending toward the interior of the store, acashiers station between the rear ends of said aisles, the central partof the store between said aisles, cashiers and receptacle stations beingoccupied by a series of independent parallel V-shaped shelves, countersbetween said shelves and the adjacent entrance aisles, a conveyor systemmounted on said counters whereby receptacles may be. manually propelledabove the,

counters from the entrance to the cashiers desk and returned by gravityto the receptacle station.

2. In a store, a pair of entrance and exit aisles arranged upon oppositesides thereof, gates at the entrance to the store permitting entrancethrough the-entrance aisles and exit through the exit aisles, the frontof the store between said gates providing space for a show case, and forbins in the rear of said show case for containing carrying baskets, saidbins be ing arranged adjacent the entrance aisles" upon opposite sidesof the store, a plurality of parallel angular shelves arranged inalignment and extending from front to rear of' the store, countersextending from front to rear of the store on opposite sides of saidshelves and forming with said bins and show case an enclosure for theshelves, thesaid counters being arranged adjacent the entrance aislesand the shelves being arranged at an angle to said counters wherebygoods are visible from said aisles upon opposite sides of the store, acashiers station at the rear of the store in direct communication withsaid entrance aisles and which a pure forming an enclosure with saidcounters for said shelves at the rear of thestore, a conveyor systemmounted upon said counters and extendlng from the basket bins to thecashiers station, said s stem comprising a track upon li aser may placea basket from one of the bins and move it as he passes along the counterto immediately adjacent the cashiers station, and a second track wherebythe cashier may return an empty basket by gravity to either of saidbins.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS L. CONDER.

